A Guide to the Shire

8/12/2019 A Guide to the Shire

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-The Shire -The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively byHobbits and largely removed from the goings-on inthe rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the

northwest of the continent, in the large region ofEriador and the old Kingdom of Arnor.

ANOTE ON TIMEFRAMEThis guide refers to the Shire circa TA 2998. Atdifferent periods in time the locations and details

herein will likely vary.

GEOGRAPHYThe Shire measures 40 leagues (120 miles from theFar Downs in the west to the Brandywine Bridge inthe east, and 50 leagues (150 miles) from the

northern moors to the marshes in the south.

The original territory of the Shire was bounded onthe east by the Baranduin River, on the north by

uplands rising to the old centre of Arnor, on thewest by the White Downs, and on the south bymarshland south of the River Shirebourne. After theoriginal settlement, hobbits also expanded to the

east into Buckland between the Baranduin and theOld Forest.

The Shire was originally divided into four Farthings,the outlying land of Buckland being formally added

later. Within the Farthings there are some smallerunofficial clan homelands: the Tooks nearly all livein or near Tuckborough in Tookland, for instance. AHobbit surname often indicates where the familycame from: Samwise Gamgee's last name derivesfrom Gamwich, where the family originated.Buckland was named for the Oldbucks (later called

the Brandybucks).

The Shire is a small but beautiful and fruitful land,

beloved by its inhabitants. The Hobbits have anextensive agricultural system in the Shire but are

not industrialised. The landscape includes smallpockets of forest and various supplies are producedin the Shire, including cereal crops, fruit, wood andpipe-weed.

REGIONS OF THE SHIREThe Three-Farthing Stone marks the tri-point wherethe borders of the East Farthing, West Farthing andSouth Farthing of the Shire come together, by theEast Road.

TheTheTheThe North FNorth FNorth FNorth FarthingarthingarthingarthingThe North farthing is the least populous part of theShire. It is where most of the Shire's barley crop is

grown, and the only farthing where heavy snow iscommon. The historic Battle of Greenfields wasfought here.

Long CleeveLong CleeveLong CleeveLong Cleeve is the home of a splinter of theTook clan, descendants of Bandobras"Bullroarer" Took known as the North-Tooks,

who settled here after the Battle of Greenfields

GreenfieldsGreenfieldsGreenfieldsGreenfields is the market centre for thenorthern Shire, often serving as a fish marketwhen trout from Lake Evendim and Pike fromthe Brandywine are available. Greenfields isthe site of the famous Battle of Greenfields

where a muster of hobbits were led byBandobras Bullroarer Took and defeated aforce of goblins from Mount Gram

BindbBindbBindbBindbaaaale Woodle Woodle Woodle Wood is one of the larger forests ofthe Shire


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TheTheTheThe WestWestWestWest FFFFarthingarthingarthingarthingThe western part of the Shire runs from the Three-Farthing Stone west as far as the Far Downs and

includes the White Downs.

Michel DelvingMichel DelvingMichel DelvingMichel Delving on the White Downs is the chieftown of the Shire. Its name means simply "largeexcavation". The Mayor of Michel Delving, witha seven-year term, is the only elected official ofthe Shire. Currently, the Mayor is Will

Whitfoot, the fattest hobbit in the Westfarthing. Michel Delving houses the mathom-

house, a museum for old items

Little DelvingLittle DelvingLittle DelvingLittle Delving is a village to the north of MichelMichelMichelMichelDelvingDelvingDelvingDelving

WaymeetWaymeetWaymeetWaymeet grew up at the junction of the GreatEast Road with the older South Road thatcrossed the Baranduin at Sarn FordSarn FordSarn FordSarn Ford before theBrandywine Bridge was built

The village of HardbottleHardbottleHardbottleHardbottle is the home of theBracegirdle family, to whom Lobelia Sackville-Baggins belonged before she married and

moved to the South Farthing

TuckborTuckborTuckborTuckboroughoughoughough is the centre of the Tookhomeland where most Tooks dwell. The Thain'sextended family lives here in the Great Smials

BywaterBywaterBywaterBywater is a village situated on the East Roadalong a natural pool in the stream called The

Water, a river running through the centre of theShire. It is known for two inns, "the GreenDragon"] and "the Ivy Bush" as well as hostingthe annual Four Farthings Cricket Tournament

Rushock BogRushock BogRushock BogRushock Bog is a swampy area along TheWater, situated near the town of NeedleholeNeedleholeNeedleholeNeedlehole

HobbitonHobbitonHobbitonHobbiton is a village along a stream locallyknown as The Water, a short distance west ofBywater. There are no stables, inns, or pubs inthe town, the nearest of which are found inBywater. The neighbourhood to the north, TheTheTheTheHillHillHillHill, is divided into Underhill on the south andOverhill on the north; The Hill Road runs northfrom Bagshot Lane and continues onward toOverhill

Bag EndBag EndBag EndBag End is an unnumbered smial built byBungo Baggins of Hobbiton as a wedding gift toBelladonna Took, a daughter of Gerontius Tookof Tookland. Bungo built the hole in the side of

a hill off a path leading from The Hill Road onthe north side of Hobbiton. It sits above itsthree closest poorer neighbours on BagshotRow

TheTheTheThe SouthSouthSouthSouth FFFFarthingarthingarthingarthingThe South farthing is the site of LongbottomLongbottomLongbottomLongbottom, wherethe best pipe-weed is grown, owing to the area's

warmer climate.

At LongbottomLongbottomLongbottomLongbottom, Tobold Hornblower introducedthe cultivation of pipe-weed to the Shire with

plantations in his garden, c. TA 2670

The Green Hill CountryThe Green Hill CountryThe Green Hill CountryThe Green Hill Country is a region of rollingcountryside in the central part of the Shire,extending into both the South Farthing and theEast Farthing

SackvilleSackvilleSackvilleSackville is the second largest town of theSouth Farthing, surrounded wheatfields andorchards, and terraced vineyards and melon-fields on the nearby hills. The Sackvilles are

rare among hobbits in the pride they takeselling their goods to folk over the bounds.

Wine and leaf from Sackville may find its wayas far east as Dale.

The Overbourne MarshesThe Overbourne MarshesThe Overbourne MarshesThe Overbourne Marshes are a swampy areaalong the western bank of the Baranduin,across the river from the mouth of the

Withywindle. The River Shirebourne flowsthrough the marshes into the Baranduin justsouth of HaysendHaysendHaysendHaysend

HaysendHaysendHaysendHaysend lies on the borders between the Southand East Farthings and Buckland

Sarn FordSarn FordSarn FordSarn Ford is the stony ford across theBaranduin on the southern borders of theShire. A road leaving the Great East Road at

Waymeet crosses the ford and meets theGreenway farther east


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TheTheTheThe EastEastEastEast FFFFarthingarthingarthingarthingThe East Farthing borders Buckland and containsthe towns FrogmortonFrogmortonFrogmortonFrogmorton and WhitfurrowsWhitfurrowsWhitfurrowsWhitfurrows and thefarms of the MarishMarishMarishMarish. The farmers near the

Brandywine largely acknowledged the authority ofthe Oldbucks, even after the latter moved across the

river and became the Brandybucks.

The MarishThe MarishThe MarishThe Marish is the name of fertile but marshyfarmlands along the Brandywine River. TheMarish was settled about thirty years after theShire had been created, by Stoors who arrivedthere from Dunland. The Marish was

important in Shire history as the home ofBucca, the first of the Shire-thains. Gorhendad,one of his descendants, crossed the

Brandywine and founded Buckland. FarmerMaggot lives at BamfuBamfuBamfuBamfurlongrlongrlongrlong the largest of thefarms in the Marish

SSSStocktocktocktock is the major town of the Marish and thelocation of "the Golden Perch", an inn with areputation for excellent beer and mead. StockRoad is a road that runs eastwards from

Tuckborough in the West Farthing across theGreen Hill Country and past the Yale to Stock

The YaleThe YaleThe YaleThe Yale is a low-lying farming area shown onthe Shire Map between the Stock Road and theEast Road. This is the homeland of the Boffinfamily

ScaryScaryScaryScary is a village in the northern part of theEast Farthing at the southern feet of the Hills ofScary. A road runs south from Scary to crossthe Water at BudgefordBudgefordBudgefordBudgeford and join the Great EastRoad at WhitfurrowsWhitfurrowsWhitfurrowsWhitfurrows

Woody EndWoody EndWoody EndWoody End is a forested upland near thevillage of WoodhallWoodhallWoodhallWoodhall

WoodhallWoodhallWoodhallWoodhall is small handsome villagesurrounded by orchards and groves of well-tended apple trees

BucklandBucklandBucklandBucklandNot originally part of the Shire, Buckland lies east ofthe Baranduin (Brandywine) river. The area is

protected from the nearby Old Forest by the "High

Hay", a tall hedge which forms the eastern border ofBuckland, running from the Brandywine Bridge inthe north to the confluence of the Withywindle withthe Baranduin near the village of HaysendHaysendHaysendHaysend in thesouth.

The main entrance to Buckland from the north is agate in the Hay, called variously the Buckland Gate,the North Gate, or the Hay Gate, located "where theHedge runs down to the river-bank, just this side ofthe Bridge," opening onto the East Road from theShire to Bree.

Unlike other hobbits the Bucklanders are preparedfor danger and less naive than the Shire-hobbits.

They close the Hay Gate and lock their own frontdoors at night, and are prepared to rush to arms atthe sound of the Horn of Buckland. MostBucklanders were originally of Stoor stock, and theyare the only hobbits known to use boats.

BuckleburyBuckleburyBuckleburyBucklebury is the main town of Buckland. TheMaster of Buckland, hereditary chieftain of theBrandybuck family, maintains his home here

at Brandy Hall

The Bucklebury FerryThe Bucklebury FerryThe Bucklebury FerryThe Bucklebury Ferry, a raft-ferry some tenmiles south of the Bridge, provides anothercrossing of the Brandywine from the Shire toBuckland. It is unmanned, to be used by

hobbits as needed

CrickhollowCrickhollowCrickhollowCrickhollow is a village in BucklandTheTheTheThe WestmarchWestmarchWestmarchWestmarchThe Westmarch is not part of the Shire officially andreaches from the western borders of the Shire, theFar Downs, to the Tower Hills.


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HISTORYNote that this information is not widely known tohobbit-kind but is included here as a point ofinterest for players.

The Shire was settled by Hobbits in the year 1601 ofthe Third Age (Year 1 in Shire Reckoning).

The Hobbits (who originally lived in the Vale ofAnduin) had migrated west over the perilous MistyMountains in the decades before that, and beforeentering the Shire they had lived in Dunland and

parts of the depopulated Arnorian splinter-realmsCardolan and Rhudaur. It has been speculated thatthe Hobbits had originally moved west to escape thetroubles of Mirkwood, and the evil caused by theEasterlings.

The Shire was a part of Arthedain, and as such apart of Arnor. The Hobbits obtained officialpermission from King Argeleb II at Fornost to settlethe lands, which were not populated and were seenas the king's hunting grounds. The King stipulatedthree conditions to this grant;

i) That the hobbits should acknowledge hisLordship

ii) That they should maintain the roads within theShire

iii) That they should aid his messengersThe Hobbits therefore considered themselvessubjects of the king and sent some archers to the

great battles Arnor fought against Angmar. After thefall of Arnor, the Shire remained a minor but

independent, self-governing realm. The chiefs of theClans elected an official named the Thain to holdthe king's powers after the North-kingdom fell. Thefirst Thains were the heads of the Oldbuck clan. The

position later came to be held by the Tooks.

Its small size, relative lack of importance, and braveand resilient Hobbit population made it too modestan objective for conquest. The only strangers toenter the Shire are the Dwarves travelling on theGreat Road that runs through the Shire to and fromtheir mines in the Blue Mountains, and theoccasional Elves on their way to the Grey Havens.

GOVERNMENTThe only government services of the Shire are theMessage Service (the post) and the Watch.

The WatchThe WatchThe WatchThe WatchThe Watch are the police, whose officers are calledShirriffs, and whose chief duty in times of peace

merely involves the rounding up of stray livestock.The total number of regular Shirriffs is 12, three foreach Farthing. There is also a somewhat larger andfluctuating number of Bounders, a kind of

unofficial border control.

Regional FamiliesRegional FamiliesRegional FamiliesRegional FamiliesTo a large extent, individual families and clanshandle their own internal affairs. Where aprominent family is associated with a certain areaof the Shire, the head of that family will alsoexercise a kind of authority over the land and

hobbits there.

The Master of the Hall or Master of BucklandMaster of BucklandMaster of BucklandMaster of Buckland(the two titles are used interchangeably),

hereditary head of the Brandybuck family, isthe effective ruler of Buckland. The title Masterof the Hall comes from his more immediateauthority over Brandy Hall, the greatest of thedwelling places of the Brandybuck family,filling Buck Hill in Bucklebury. The Master alsoexercises a good deal of authority in theMarish, a region of the East Farthing justacross the Brandywine from Buckland.

Similarly, the HHHHead of the Took Fead of the Took Fead of the Took Fead of the Took Familyamilyamilyamily, oftenjust called the Took, rules the ancestral Tookdwelling of Great Smials, the village of

Tuckborough, and the wider area known as theTookland.

The Thain and The MayorThe Thain and The MayorThe Thain and The MayorThe Thain and The Mayor

There are only two Shire-wide officials, the Thainand the Mayor. The Thainship is a hereditary office,set up after the collapse of the Kingdom of

Arthedain, to hold the King's authority over theShire. In practice, the Thain's duties are limited,

mostly related to defence: the Thain is the master ofthe Shire-moot, and captain of the Shire-muster andthe Hobbitry-in-arms; but as muster and moot areonly held in times of emergency, which no longeroccur, the Thainship has ceased to be more than a

nominal dignity. Nevertheless, the feeling remainswidespread that, in the absence of a King, the Thain

is the source for all proper authority in the Shire.


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The ThainshipThe ThainshipThe ThainshipThe ThainshipIn TA 2998 (SR 1398), the office of Thain has existedfor approximately 1,000 years. The first Thain,Bucca of the Marish, took office in SR 379; he and

his 11 successors of the Oldbuck family held theThainship for 361 years. When Gorhendad Oldbuckled his family to settle Buckland (SR 740), the officeof Thain passed to Isumbras I, head of the Tookfamily, which has held the Thainship ever since.

Thains of the Shire include:

Bucca of the Marish (379-?)... [11 Thains of the Oldbuck line, possibly

including Gorhendad Oldbuck, who removedto Buckland]

Isumbras I Took (740-?)... [8 Thains of the Took line]

Isengrim II (? 1122) Isumbras III (1122 1159) Ferumbras II (1159 1201) Fortinbras I (1201 1248) Gerontius, the Old Took (1248 1320) Isengrim III (1320 1330) Isumbras IV (1330 1339) Fortinbras II (1339 1380) Ferumbras III (1380 Present)

TheTheTheThe Office ofOffice ofOffice ofOffice of MayorMayorMayorMayorThe chief official of the Shire is the Mayor of MichelDelving. Elected every seven years at the "Free Fair"

held on the White Downs in the West Farthing, the

Mayor is also the Postmaster and First Shirriff of theShire.

The Laws of the ShireThe Laws of the ShireThe Laws of the ShireThe Laws of the ShireThe Hobbits of the Shire generally obey the Rules,that is, the ancient laws of the North Kingdom, andthere is no real need to enforce them; all Hobbits

voluntarily obey them as they are both ancient andjust.

Hobbits have lawyers, but these deal mostly withwills and other civil matters; there is no record of a

formal court system, still less of criminalprosecutions or punishments. In the Shire, noHobbit has ever been known intentionally to killanother Hobbit.


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A Guide to the Shire

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